Eight New Year’s Resolutions for Students

If your New Year’s Resolution this year is to get a better education we’ve got some New Year’s Resolutions to add to that to help you achieve your goal.

It’s that time of year, where we start to think of ways we can better ourselves and our future. If your goals involve finishing your degree, here are some smaller resolutions you can add to your daily routine to help you on your way. Don’t worry; these aren’t going to overwhelm you. These are simple changes you can make that will have a big impact in helping you succeed. According to Forbes magazine, only 8% of people actually keep their New Year’s Resolution. That’s why we came up with eight tips to help you be part of that exclusive 8%. 1. Get more sleep – Just Google “sleep and school” and you will find thousands of studies regarding how detrimental the lack of sleep is on your ability to learn. To be truly focused on your education, you need sleep. Many students will cite the stress of juggling school and work as factors for not being able to sleep, saying they just can’t shut their brain down at night because they can’t stop thinking about everything they have to do the next day. Try listening to calming music for a while or meditating before bed to help you relax and prepare for a good night’s sleep. 2. Eat a healthy breakfast – You probably hear this one all the time, but do you actually listen? There are numerous reasons to eat a healthy breakfast. According to Science Daily, skipping breakfast generally leads to unhealthy habits all day long. Plus, you’re not getting the nutrients your brain needs to start the day off right. Most studies say you should try to eat within an hour of waking. If you’re one of the many people who don’t wake up hungry at least have a glass of juice or a smoothie, or eat a granola bar. Just try to get a little something in you to get your brain and your body going, and don’t forget to have a glass of water as well. 3. Do a little bit of homework every night – Don’t procrastinate. If you have a 3-5 page Critical Thinking assignment due on Sunday, don’t wait until Saturday to start it. Write a little each night and you’ll find you have more time to go back through your paper and fine tune it. It will save you so much stress, lead to better grades, and prevent having to pull an all-nighter (refer back to number 1 for why that’s important). You get access to your course syllabus on the first day of class so this trick can also help you prepare for the weeks ahead. You never know when work will get busy or when you get last minute tickets to something. If you’ve never taken an online class before, take a look at what courses look like at CSU Global. 4. Write it down – According to Medical Daily, the act of writing your notes down with pen and paper increases your odds of remembering and retaining the information in the lesson you are studying. Just make sure you’re writing legibly enough that you can reference your notes should you need to go back to them. 5. Participate in class – This is the same concept as the previous resolution. The more you participate in class discussions, the more likely you are to remember the material. Many people don’t like to participate more than required because they don’t want to say the wrong thing or don’t want to ask questions that you feel you should know the answers to. Don’t let that stop you. The more you feel comfortable with the material, the easier your assignments will be moving forward. 6. Get organized – Organization is a skill that often gets overlooked, but it’s vital to all aspects of your life from school to work to home. Before you go to bed at night, make a list of what you need to do the next day, set out your clothes to wear, pack your lunch, etc. By not having to spend time thinking about these things you will have more time in your day and will be more prepared for whatever comes your way. 7. Stick to your study plan – If you decide that you’re going to study at a certain time, stick with it. Don’t adjust your plan just because the game is on or because you have friends who want to meet up. It’s a lot harder to get back into a routine once you break it. There are a number of resources in the Student Portal and the CSU Global library to help you with study planning and time management. 8. Get some exercise – When you exercise you get your blood pumping and your brain going. Before hitting the books or sitting at the computer do 15 minutes of exercise, whether it’s jogging or bike riding or anything else you prefer. It’ll help shake off any sluggishness you may be feeling and get you primed for a better and more intense study session. Remember, if you can pick just one of these eight New Year’s Resolutions and stick with it, you will be on a better track for a successful 2015. Good luck and Happy New Year!